In Mexico
by theWindRunner
Summary: Reyna, Nico and Leo are sent to Mexico by the oracle and the only hint they are given is a street address. This is a short portrait of the meeting between an inhabitant of the house and the three demigods. There are converstaions that are in Spanish but most of the story is in English. Rated T for slight nuddity and one or two suggestive sentences.


(A/N) This is just a short random writing that came out of an idea that I got while the sun was setting and my mother was baking cookies. Basically the oracle sends Reyna, Nico and Leo to Mexico but doesn't tell them what they are there for. Their only clue is an address and they are standing in front of the house wondering what to do. Please remember to review. Also if you notice any problems with my grammar or word choice in Spanish let me know. Thanks.

**So I've updated the conversations so the English is under the Spanish. Thanks to Guest(who is a guest) for reviewing:). Some words I didn't translate but they all come up somewhere else in the story. The names are also not translated. Let me know if there's something else I've missed.**

* * *

Reyna, Leo and Nico stood in front of the house unsure what they were going to say. They didn't have a cover story this time but this was the address that the oracle had given them. Leo impulsive and unable to resist rang the doorbell. A woman answered it. She had an apron on and black hair pulled up into a messy bun. Definitely Asian and she had black rimed glasses from which her dark brown eyes peered out of.

"Amigos de Sarah?" she asked.  
_Friends of Sarah?_

"Más o menos. Es en casa?" asked Leo.  
_More or less. Is she at home?_

The woman nodded and left the door opened beckoning for them to enter. Nico shut it as he was the last one in.

"Sarah!" the woman yelled up the stairs.

"Estoy en cocina mama." came the reply.  
_I'm in the kitchen mum._

The woman led the three demigods into the kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen table was a fifteen year old girl with her brown hair pulled back into a pony tail. There were containers of fresh baked cookies on the counter and something was frying on the stove. Setting two plates in front of the Sarah the woman said, "Here is your dinner mija. Take this one to tu hermano."  
_ Here is your dinner my(mi) daughter(hija). Take this one to your brother._

"Ahora?" the girl asked.  
_Now?_

"Sí. Ahora." her mother replied.  
_Yes. Now._

Sarah got up and looked at the three of them standing awkwardly in the kitchen door. Then she also motioned for them to follow her as she headed up the stairs. They stopped first in her room where she held her brother's supper awkwardly and stared at them.

Footsteps sounded from outside her door and a little boy came walking past.

"Hermanito." Sarah called holding out the plate, "Tu cena."  
_Little brother. Your supper._

"No tengo hambre." the little boy said rubbing his eyes.  
_I'm not hungry._

"Tienes sueño?" she asked.  
_Are you sleepy?_

He nodded.

"Donde está mama?" he asked.  
_Where is mom?_

"Está en la cocina." Sarah responded, "Ella es ... What's the word? Shoot."  
_She es in the kitchen. She is ..._

"Maybe I might know it." offered Leo.

"You speak English?" Sarah asked surprised.

"Sí" answered Leo.

"Pero comprenden Español." she said, "Did you learn it from school?"  
_But you understand Spanish._

"My mom spoke it." said Leo.

"I grew up in a neighbour hood where it was spoken." Reyna said.

"And I'm fluent in Italian. They have similarities." Nico said.

"I'd prefer if we spoke in English." Reyna requested.

"Good. I'm much better at English. It's my native language." Sarah admitted then said to her brother, "Go down and see for yourself Andrew."

"No me gusta hablar Inglés." he muttered.  
_I don't like to speak English._

"Un momento por favour." Sarah told the three demigods as she picked up her brother's plate and took the little boy with her into the kitchen. Naturally the three followed.  
_One moment please._

"Do your friends want any?" asked her mother.

"Mama." Andrew said happily as he sat down at the table.

"Cena?" Sarah asked.  
_Dinner?_

"Moon cakes." her mother said when they looked at the food on the plate.

"Sí." Leo answered though he had never come across the food before, "Gracias."

"Comemos en mi dormitory mama." Sarah said as they grabbed their plates.  
_We're eat in my room mum._

"Sí." her mother sighed though Sarah hadn't been asking.

"Donde está papa?" asked Andrew looking at Sarah.  
_Where is dad?_

"En Canada?" Sarah answered looking at her mother.  
_In Canada?_

"En Los Estados Unidos ahora." answered her mother.  
_In the United States right now._

Andrew rubbed his eyes again.

"Come y te despierta, mijo." the Asian woman told the little boy.  
_Eat and then go to sleep my(mi) son(hijo)._

He yawned in response.

"Noche." said Sarah.  
_Night._

"Que?" he asked giving her a school master look.  
_What?_

Sarah rolled her eyes before responding, "Buen noche Andy."  
_Good night Andy._

Then she and the three demigods headed up the stairs carrying their food.

"Moon cakes?" asked Leo when they got up the stairs.

"In eggs?" added Nico.

"It's almost Chinese new years. My mum's Chinese so we celebrate it every year but she didn't grow up with the culture so she only knows how to do some things." answered Sarah, "Sit wherever. You can sit on the bed, the floor, the beanbags just not on my chair I'm sitting there."

Leo sat cross legged on the bed and Nico sat on the very very edge of the bed nervously. They didn't know who she was and she didn't know them. Reyna sat on one of the many beanbags on the floor.

"We live in the good part of town." Sarah said staring at the clean wood floor.

The strong late afternoon sun came streaming into her room as a soft orange colour and settled on the desk and floor.

"You sitting higher than us means we are not equals." remarked Reyna.

Sarah sighed and moved off the chair laying flat on her floor with her plate in front of her. She made no objection.

"What word were you looking for earlier?" asked Leo to break the silence.

"Frying." said Sarah, "I don't take foods so I don't know it."

"Can't say I've come across it either." Leo admitted after thinking hard for a minute then asked Reyna, "Do you know it?"

"No." Reyna said.

"What about you?" asked Leo turning to look at Nico.

"Not in Spanish no." he said.

"So what do we have to talk about?" asked Sarah.

"I'm not sure." admitted Leo, "Anything I guess."

"Pick a topic." Sarah suggested, "Maybe something will come up."

"Food." Leo said.

Reyna and Nico both looked at him like he was crazy.

"Family." Leo suggested changing to a topic that was probably worse than food.

Once again Reyna and Leo looked at him.

"Are you sure?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah. Unless you're uncomfortable with it." Leo said.

"It's fine." Sarah replied, "If you're sure."

Leo nodded.

"My father is white." she admitted, "He's half British half Spanish. My mom is Chinese but she was adopted by a Mexican couple when her own parents disappeared. They found her biological parents when she was eighteen but the only language they spoke in common was English. Both sets of parents keep in touch. She had to put up with teasing and racial slurs but she made a name for herself and now no one crosses her. She was born around here and my dad fell in love with her and they got married here so we settled here when my brother was born. I was born in the UK and grew up there for eight years. That's why I speak English better than Spanish. My mom speaks broken Spanish and mostly English in the house. She could speak fluent Spanish when she was young but she stopped when she met my dad. Now she uses just enough Spanish to successfully run a business. My father speaks Spanish at home and the office though not around my mother. My brother was born and raised here. He speaks Spanish at school, and out in the neighbourhood. He mostly only speaks Spanish. Even around my mother. It's part of the reason why she started using it again."

"So that's why you don't look Mexican." Leo blurted out and Nico elbowed him.

"Sorry." Nico apologized.

"It's not a big deal." Sarah said with a shrug, "Do you want me to continue?"

"You bet!" Leo said slipping onto the floor.

"My mum used to be a high school teacher but now she's a stay at home mum. Dad is part of a company with its HQ in Belgium. He's in PR so he goes on lots of business trips." Sarah continued, "I'm in my eleventh year of school and Andrew is in his second."

At that moment Andrew passed Sarah's open door with their mother yelling after him, "Lava tu cara mijo!"  
_Wash your face my(mi) son(hijo)!_

"Does every one get called mijo or mija as a kid?" asked Leo surprised.

Sarah nodded and said, "I think lots of Spanish speaking mothers do it. It's like a pet name and faster than saying mi hijo or mi hija because you don't have to repeat the 'i'."

She then looked at Leo, Reyna and Nico as she waited for them to say something.

"So do you have any pets?" asked Leo.

Sarah seemed surprised that they hadn't told her anything about their families but nodded.

"We have ten cats and three dogs." she replied, "Technically they belong to someone else in the neighbourhood but they wander around all day and everyone looks after them so we say they belong to everyone in the neighbourhood."

"Favourite food?" asked Leo finishing his supper.

"Papaya." Sarah answered without hesitation.

"Why?" asked Nico.

"Flavour and they taste great on a hot day." she replied.

"What about ice cream?" asked Leo, "Do you like it?"

"Of course." Sarah said, "It's cool, creamy, comes in more than twenty flavours, goes great with chips, fries, chocolate and gummy bears. Need I say more?"

"What about cousins?" asked Leo leaning forward onto a beanbag.

"Tons." replied Sarah, "I've got so many aunts and uncles. I can't count them."

The conversation continued on like this. Leo asking questions and Sarah answering them as the three demigods tried to figure out exactly why the quest had sent them here.

"Let's head out on the town. There's a part where I know the boys and they can keep us safe." Sarah suggested as the sun turned into a faint orange glow behind some houses.

"Where?" asked Reyna.

"Ever been to a house of male strippers?" Sarah asked answering the question with a question.

Nico and Reyna blushed and had horror plastered on their face. Nico was terrified because he was gay and not sure if he wanted to see naked men yet. Reyna was against the idea because she didn't want to see men without clothes on before she had even one serious relationship. Leo grinned and leaned further over the beanbag.

"No. Let's go." he said cheekily.

The sun had set by the time they left.

"Hola, Alejandro, Aldolpho." Sarah called.

The two half nude men came mincing over to where they stood. Alejandro and Aldolpho wore slacks and ties. That was it.

"Hola cadejito. Nuevos amigos?" Alejandro asked.  
_Hi little cadejo. New friends?_

"No, lobo. Son mis primos." Sarah replied rolling her eyes.  
_No, wolf. They are my cousins._

"Tus primos. Hermanos de Jose?" he inquired.  
_Your cousins. Siblings of Jose?_

"No. Otros primos. Donde están tus amigas?" she asked.  
_No. Other cousins. Where are you female friends?_

"Mis amigas están en la jardin con Antonio. It's a private meeting if you know what I mean." Alejandro teased.  
_My female friends are in the garden with Antonio._

"Al, como estás?" asked Sarah turning to Aldolpho while Alejandro grinned wolfishly behind her.  
_Al, how are you?_

"Bien y tu?" Aldolpho inquired politely.  
_Good and you?_

"Muy bien gracias y tu madre." Sarah said.  
_Very well thank you and your mother._

"Mi madre y mi padre están bien." he told her as if this was a ritual.  
_My mother and my father are good._

"Mis primos." Sarah said introducing them.  
_My cousins._

Aldolpho nodded and then the two men sauntered over to where an old woman was standing. She was beckoning with a finger and looked less than pleased.

"Que significa cadejito?" asked Leo.  
_What does cadejito mean?_

"Pequena cadejo." said Sarah then seeing the look on Leo's face, "Un cadejo es un lobo magico de El Salvador."  
_Little cadejo. A cadejo is a magical wolf from El Salvador._

"Ohhh." Leo said.

"What?" asked Nico.

"Magical dog from El Salvador." Leo told him.

"I gathered that much." Nico snapped, "I was wondering why she was called that."

Leo shrugged.

"What's with the names?" asked Leo looking at Sarah.

"Which ones?" she asked.

"Why does he call you cadejito and why do you call him lobo?" clarified Nico.

"Do you know what they mean?" asked Sarah.

Nico nodded.

"They're predatory names because the boys go for girls like their nicknames suggest. Alejandro is a ravishing wolf and I'm a small, kind, helpful, caring little girl who can slip away at will. At least that's what they say." explained Sarah, "You should meet El Tigre. He's one of the best here."

"What's his real name Alonso?" asked Leo.

Sarah laughed and shook her head.

"I don't know why Alejandro, Alphonso, and Antonio are friends but they are so people often meet them together. Not every around here has a name that starts with 'a'. For example look at Carmen. She manages this place."

"The second letter of her name is an 'a'." pointed out Leo.

"But not the first." countered Sarah as she took them up a flight of stairs and down a hall to a room that was larger than all of the others and had a door inlayed with gold.

She knocked on the door and waited.

"Entre mi amour." came a silky seductive voice from the room.  
_Enter my love._

"Es mi." yelled Sarah.  
_It's me._

"Cadejito?"

The surprise was evident in the deep voice. It no longer was in seducing mode and the door opened to reveal a man in his late twenties with only sweatpants on.

"Por que estás aqui?" he asked, "Tengo una amiga en diez minutos."  
_Why are you here? I have a female friend in ten minutes._

"Su amiga es en la jardin con Antonio. No esta aqui en diez minutos." Sarah replied, "Puede ayudar mis primos, Tigre?"  
_Your femal friend is in the garden with Antonio. She won't be here in ten minutes. Can you help my cousins, Tiger?_

"Tus primos cadejito. En serio?" the man questioned raising an eyebrow.  
_Your cousins cadejito. Are you serious?_

"No Tigre. Son mis amigos."  
_No Tigre. They are my friends._

"Sientense." ordered the man as he sat on the bed.  
_Sit down._

Nico, Reyna and Leo cautiously sat on the myriad of giant cushions that littered his room. El Tigre made Sarah sit on his knee and look at him.

"Cuantos años los conoces?" asked El Tigre.  
_How many years have you known them?_

"Cinco horas." Sarah confessed.  
_Five hours._

"Cinco horas." the man repeated groaning.  
_Five hours._

"Sí." Sarah hung her head slightly when she though he wasn't looking.

"Cadejito." he said tilting her chin so she was looking in his eyes, "Cuantos años tienes?"  
_How old are you?_

"Quince." she replied.  
_Fifteen._

"Eres un bebe." he told her, "Ten cuidado. Hay gente con mal intentiones en el mundo."  
_You're a baby. Be careful. There are people with bad intentions in the world._

"Yo sé." Sarah said indignantly, "Yo no soy un bebé."  
_I know. I am not a baby._

"Yes you are cadejito. Yes you are." he whispered in her ear and then stood up and walked over to where Leo was sitting.

El Tigre sat down in front of him where all three demigods could see him. He sat still for twenty minutes then introduced himself.

"Hola. Me llamo El Tigre. Donde están?"  
_Hi. My name is El Tigre. Where are you from?_

"Los Estados Unidos." replied Leo.  
_The US._

"El norte o el sur?" questioned El Tigre.  
_The north or the south?_

"El norte." said Leo at the same time that Reyna said, "El sur."  
_The north. The south._

El Tigre nodded and let them sit in silence for another five minutes. Then the man that in now way seemed to represent a tiger stood up and lightly pushed Sarah off of his bed.

"Antonio es en la casa. Regresen a sus casas." El Tigre said.  
_Antonio is in the house. Return to your houses._

"Por que?" demanded Sarah.  
_Why?_

"Hasta luego niños." he said and herded the four teens out his door.  
_See you latter kids._

"Regresamos a casa?" Sarah asked looking at the three demigods.  
_Should we go home?_

Reyna nodded. There was still no sign of why they were here but she didn't plan on staying here for more than a day it was too close for her to be comfortable.

"Están de Los Estados Unidos?" Sarah asked.  
_You're from the US._

All three of the demigods nodded and tensed for further questions such as why they were here, why they had said they lived in different places, or how they knew each other but none came. To Sarah's credit she kept her mouth shut and said nothing either in English or Español.

They split up when they hit Sarah's house. She looked at them questioningly but as none of them asked to stay over she didn't offer. Leo, Nico and Reyna continued on down the street. Only when they were at a Roman safe house did Leo realize something.

"Hey guys. She never asked what our names were. She spent five hours with us and never asked us what our names were. Do you think she knew?"

"Go to bed Leo." Nico grumbled, "She also didn't ask us anything else."

"You're right." Leo realized, "She knew nothing about us."

"Was she a monster?" asked Reyna.

Nico shook his head, "She was mortal. Completely, kindly, stupidly, mortal."


End file.
